A machine tool such as a lathe has one or more movable cutting elements which operate on a work piece rotated by a spindle or headstock assembly. The headstock and the movable components are mounted to a base, which typically is made of metal, although cementitious materials are known.
The conventional machine tool base is a large bulky assembly to which the operating components are attached. The bedways on which the cutting elements move and the headstock support structure are typically manufactured from metal, such as steel or cast iron, and must be secured to the base. Positive securement of a fabricated metal component to a cementitious base requires that alignment be maintained with extreme accuracy for a machine tool that operates within extremely small tolerances. Grouting of the metal components to a cementitious base has been used in the past. However, grouting has some drawbacks, such as difficulty of accurately aligning the bedways due to the shrinkage forces generated by the grout during curing and the limited burial depth of the bedways into the cementitious base.